Spring Clean Out

Yesterday we FINALLY had a nice day here in the Chicago suburbs (sunny and temps in the 50s) and we were able to get outside and do some spring clean out in our yard. It needed it desperately. Last fall we had been really lazy and left a lot of things for 'next year'. We cleared away leaves, dead plants, and even put the front porch furniture back in place. Now those little plants already popping up will have a better chance to grow, and things are looking homey and cozy again, instead of dead and messy.

While working, my mind wandered, and I started making the inevitable comparisons to writing. Cleaning out the yard is a lot like editing a manuscript. In both cases, the garbage needs to be gotten rid of. Whether it's leaves from the previous fall or too many adverbs, those things need to go in order to expose the fresh growth beneath. Those little seedlings popping through are like the seed of a new idea just waiting to take root and bloom. And the rocking chairs and benches are like the finishing touches, making your story real, and a place where people (readers) want to curl up and stay for a while.

Now today we're supposed to get rain. A lot of it. Storms. But that's okay, too. The rain will help the plants to grow. Just like a garden needs to be tended in just the right way in order to bloom and grow, so does a manuscript need to be given the right 'ingredients' to make it come to fruition.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com